97-99 give the rubrics and brief text on Benediction. We’ll catch the following suggestion for the hymn of eucharistic song in a later post.

97. Toward the end of the exposition the priest or deacon goes to the altar, genuflects, and kneels. Then a hymn or other eucharistic song is sung, (see HCWEOM 192-199) Meanwhile the minister, while kneeling, incenses the sacrament if the exposition has taken place with the monstrance.

98. Afterward the minister rises and sings or says:

Let us pray.

After a brief period of silence, the minister continues:

Lord Jesus Christ,

you gave us the eucharist

as the memorial of your suffering and death.

May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood

help us to experience the salvation you won for us

and the peace of the kingdom

where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

All respond:

Amen.

Other prayers, nos. 224-229, may be chosen.

We won’t cover all those prayers in future posts; I think the hymns will be of more interest. #226 is instructive, as it provides the imagery of food, balancing as it were, the complementary aspects of the Eucharist as meal and sacrifice. Here’s #226:

Lord our God,

you have given us the true bread from heaven.

In the strength of this food

may we live always by your life

and rise in glory on the last day.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

The end of Benediction:

99. After the prayer the priest or deacon puts on the hu­meral veil, genuflects, and takes the monstrance or ciborium. He makes the sign of the cross over the people with the monstrance or ciborium, in silence.

And the reposition which concludes the liturgy:

100. After the blessing the priest or deacon who gave the blessing, or another priest or deacon, replaces the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle and genuflects. Meanwhile the people may sing or say an acclamation, and the minister then leaves.

Note the call for an acclamation rather than a hymn or song here. More often I see the litany, Divine Praises, used plus the hymn, Holy God. Not to say that innovation doesn’t work, but that’s not the rubrical prescription given in the HCWEOM.

Despite this being the rubric, most priests I know around here lead the divine praises prior to the reposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It seems out-of-place to have the Divine Praises with the Subject of them returned to the tabernacle. I haven’t been able to find an order of service for the pre-V2 Adoration: would be curious to see if these praises were conducted before or after reposition.

I begin the Divine Praises immediately after taking the Blessed Sacrament out of the Monstrance. By the time the Divine Praises are over, the Blessed Sacrament is back in the tabernacle and it’s time to take off the humoral veil. I don’t do the song after the Divine Praises. It works pretty well for me. I just wish the people wouldn’t rush the Divine Praises so much.

this is a wonderful page but i have a specific question. Our new liturgist has changed the format of our Benediction….He has the Tantum Ergo sung at the entrance procession for Mass, Mass concludes and then we sing O Salutarus, incensing, the Blessing, Divine Praises and then Holy God as we process back to the Adoration Chapel…some people question the singing of Tantum Ergo at the entrance procession…is this acceptable?

Acceptable? Maybe not to people who have long been accustomed to doing it another way. I think Tantum Ergo is fine for a procession, but if people have been used to another way, I don’t think it’s important enough to alter it.

Thank you…I was hoping that you would tell me that it was NOT acceptable and against the rubrics for Benediction…we are unhappy about this but cannot change this persons mind without something to back us up…I think he is in time saving mode and we sing one less song at this Mass….pray for us!

about Todd Flowerday

A Roman Catholic lay person, married (since 1996), with one adopted child (since 2001). I serve in worship and spiritual life in a midwestern university parish.

about John Donaghy

John is a lay missionary since 2007 with a parish in western Honduras. Before that he served in campus ministry and social justice ministry in Iowa. His ministry blog is http://hermanojuancito.blogspot.com

He also blogs reflections on the lectionary and saints/heroes/events of the date at http://walktheway.wordpress.com

He'll be a long-term contributor here analyzing the Latin American bishops' document from their 2007 Aparecida Conference.